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The Kingdom of Valclya
Precious little was known about the Kingdom of Valclya- a small and secretive elven land located beyond the Eastern Wastes. The history of this ancient Kingdom remained a mystery until very recently, as even the most proficient of scholars found getting hold of ancient Valclyan tomes difficult at best. The Valclyans are extremely wary of outsiders and guard their history and knowledge closely. Most current knowledge comes from a single source- The Lady Larka Daepad, Commander of the Warriors of the Black Sun and a high-ranking native of the Kingdom of Valclya. It is through her first-hand knowledge and experience that allowed us to finally gain an insight into this secretive land. The Kingdom of Valclya is generally a warm a humid land, but not uncomfortable, with vast and dense forests covering the landscape, broken by the many lakes and rivers that cover the land. Thanks to its unique location and layout of the land gives it a strange climate which varies vastly from boarder to boarder: the south and the tall mountain ranges experiencing the effects of the cold climate of nearby Skovva, the West known for blisteringly hot temperatures etc. History The Kingdom was thought to have been founded several thousand years ago, an exact time is unknown, but it is believed to have been founded at around 3000BU. Ten warring clans of elves merged together in a peaceful union to better protect themselves from the growing threat of the surrounding human lands. A leader needed selecting in order to bring greater stability and unity to the clans; each clan put forward a champion who participated in several contests of strength, wit and skill to decide who amongst them would rule. Lysanthir of the Coastland tribe (later known as the Emerald Coast) was victorious, showing himself to be both strong and clever- one truly deserving of leadership. Crowned under the leaves of a Golden Oak, Lysanthir adopted the title of Taar (King) and thus the royal dynasty of Valclya was founded. As his first act as Taar, Lysanthir took the champions of each clan and created a Royal Counsel, to share their wisdom and advice, take part in the formation of laws, the making of key decisions, and for the new Taar to better understand and help his people. Lysanthir’s reign was long and prosperous and after his passing he became known as Lysanthir the Wise and the capital city was named Lysanthir in his honour. Recent History In the past few centuries, the government of Valclya has become corrupted and as a result the people are suffering. Both Crown and Council have allowed their need for power and control to infect them, leaving the common folk with less say over who rules them, taxes have risen tremendously, pleas for help are left ignored and public executions are at an all-time high…all the while, some Councillors are enjoying the luxuries of heavy taxation. One decision which caused the greatest uproar was the passing of the Purity Law; a law forbidding mixed-race marriages and forbidding half-breeds from inheriting lands, titles and even heirlooms. Any unclaimed wealth or property is claimed by the Crown and as a result, Valclya saw a rapid rise in homelessness and suicide rates. Riots broke out all over the Kingdom which were brutally put down by the Crown’s forces, but even the army is struggling to keep up with the dissent amongst the common folk, and the growing presence of rebels and Daepad loyalists makes the strain worse. Lady Larka has also received horrendous messages from Valclya…of mixed-race couples being dragged through the streets, forced castrations, and half-breed children and babies being slaughtered on mass. Valclyans are well known for their dislike for half-breeds as many Valclyan carry traditionalist values of Purity. There have always been tensions between the elves and their half-breed neighbours and in the past few centuries a great plague has ravaged the people of Valclya killing thousands, including many members of the royal family. Mysteriously, very few half-breeds contracted the illness and even fewer died as a result (it is believed that due to their human blood that they developed some kind of resistance) this lead to the half-breeds being treated with suspicion and many elves believed that they were the source of the plague. Despite the history of tension, the outright persecution of half-breeds was a very recent phenomenon after the Counsel and crown were stricken with panic over a pair of half-breed children in the immediate line of succession. The current ruler of Valclya is Taar Darion; a sickly and unstable young man with a fist of iron. The instability of his throne and the fear of being deposed by his cousins Larka and Aneurin Daepad has fuelled his cruelty. Currently childless, Darion has broken from tradition and has taken two wives, the Taarli Wynnter and Lady Imra, in order to quickly sire children and push House Daepad out of the line of succession. However, after a near fatal bought of the plague in his childhood, it is believed that the Taar may be completely sterile- further supported by his dependence on opium and other drugs like his father and grandmother before him. Should Darion die without issue, many Counsel members would be up in arms, each vying to place their family on the throne of Valclya. Valclya’s Heraldry: A long rectangular flag. Ten gold stars representing each original clan, a Golden oak tree with a crown around its trunk set on a background of green, with gold embroidery Royal Council Since the reign of Lysanthir I, Valclya has always been ruled by the reigning Taar or Taari alongside the Royal Council. To this day the immediate members of the royal family will reside in the great palace in the capital, Council members can also reside in their respective homes near the royal palace; each Councillor representing one of the ten original clans, their old territories now divided up into provinces. Due to the long life span of elves, election of Council members are traditionally held every 50 years, but it is not unknown for a Councillor to hold their position for hundreds of years. However, due the corruption of the current Taar, the election of new Councillors has been dismissed in order to keep those loyal to him in power. The current members of the Royal Council are as followed, alongside the name of their province in the common language: • Councillor Nestorin of The Emerald Coast (The former seat of Morwen Daepad) • Councillor Trillis of Bright Gorge • Councillor Uriel of The Brexys Wood • Councillor Illinarius of Yll Lake • Councillor Bryce of The Crowned Highland • Councillor Namine of Mya Nalore • Councillor Rhosys of Redwood • Councillor Kipcha of The Galmis Mountains • Councillor Onivir of Gaelyn’s Folly • Councillor Raenystra of Starhold Many of the older Councillors, especially those who still hold Purist views, enjoy special privileges and rights under the tyrannical rule of Taar Darion. However some Councillors disagree with the Taar’s attitudes and laws and have actively pledged allegiance to House Daepad. Gods and Worship The people of Valclya worship the same pantheon of Gods as Ásaterra, but they are referred to by their elven names. Various grand temples exists through Valclya and it is viewed as a great honour to give your life in service to a God. Each province can boast their abundance of smaller chapels, temples and shrines to the Gods, however each have a larger and grander temple dedicated to their name. The Gods are as followed, as well as the location of their most prominent temple: - Emyr (Magnus) , Temple located in The Crowned Highland - Tesni (Cosmia), Temple located in Starhold - Taliesin (Skiaselveyn) Temple located in the capital city of Lysanthir - Arianrhod (Annatara) Temple located in the capital city of Lysanthir - Caddell (Brutus), Temple located in Bright Gorge - Rhosyn (Lyre) Temple located in Yll Lake - Nerys (Sigismund), Temple located in The Galmis Mountains - Einon (Mordon), Temple located in Mya Nalore - Siana (Florintina) Temple located in Yll Lake - Morgan (Omar), Temple located in Emerald Coast - Gweinith (Fifldia), Temple located in The Brexys Wood - Marwolaeth (Lady Death), Temple located in Red Wood - Culhwch (Nitphil), Temple located in Gaelyn’s Folly Trade Valclya has a reputation as an extremely secretive Kingdom, even before its boarders were closed completely, Valclya was only known to have dealt with the lands directly bordering them, however recently they have allowed private trading with certain interested parties in Ásaterra, in exchange for weapons and armour. In the past when trading was at an all-time high (during the reigns of Taar Gaelyn and his brother Taar Nethin), Valclya was famed for its export of spirits and wines made from berries rather than grapes and the vast forests of Golden Oak provide sturdy and water resistant wood- excellent for building ships. The delicate Valclyan-craft jewellery was much sought after by those who had the coin for it. Language Although the citizens of Valclya speak the common tongue, the elven language is still preserved and guarded closely, although only the older elves still use it as their first language. Children, especially those of noble houses are taught elven from a young age and even those from low birth still have a fair grasp of conversational elvish. Elvish is rarely used day-to-day, most elves will use certain phrases, but its main use lies in official ceremonies such as marriages, naming ceremonies and funerals. Below are some examples of commonly used words and phrases: - Yes/No: Da/No - Please: Laska - Thank you: Tah Hava - Hello/Hey: Vittanya - May good fortune rule over you (formal greeting): Gal ffortwyn ono thelduin - Goodbye: Dittanya - Good Night: Dinanct - Sorry: Ebelis - Peace/ Calm yourself: Atisha - King: Taar - Queen: Taari - Prince: Taal - Princess: Taali - Lady: Kuli - Lord: Korlon - Brother: Vellon - Sister: Vella - Mother/ (Also used as a term of respect and affection for an older woman): Mathair/ Mam/ Ma - Father/ (Also used as a term of respect and affection for an older man): Nathair/ Nath/ Na - Traitor: Ishallas - Friend: Vinir - Family (Blood of my blood): Gwayd fin Wide - My heart (affectionate term): Delnah - The die is cast: Tha an di bwria Appearance Due to the generally hot climate, Valclyan elves usually have dark features: olive skin, dark hair and brown or hazel eyes, but with the mixing of blood lines and the introduction of human blood, it is not uncommon to find Valclyans with lighter skin hair and eyes. Thanks to their clan ancestors’ life style and the layout of the land, Valclyans are tall and muscular (Averaging at about 6 foot tall) but are lithe and graceful despite their size. Their faces are finely structured with high cheek bones and aquiline noses. Similarly to many other elves, a Valclyan elf can typically live for around a thousand years, but it is known for them to live up to 1500 years old in exceptional circumstances. At around 160-200 years old an elf reaches sexual maturity, but due to their longevity the elves are slow to breed and will on average only have 2 or 3 offspring in their life time. Children Because of their slow breeding patterns, children in Valclya are seen as a gift and are treasured by society. A few days after their birth a child will be presented to the Gods and a naming ceremony will take place, usually followed by a lavish celebration. Until recently, every member of a community was invited to a naming ceremony and it was as normal an occurrence to see a noble Valclyan at the ceremony of a low-born child, as it was to see low-born attending naming ceremonies in castles and palaces. Valclyan children are instilled with pride for their culture and are taught from a young age to value their homeland, this includes all children, even the lowliest farmer or orphan child, being taught to speak Valclyan elvish. Children are taught many skills by their families (or tutors if they are wealthy enough) for them to carry into adulthood, but they are not expected to become adults rapidly, as Valclyans treasure childhood. Adoption is very common in Valclya, however their views are very different to those Ásaterra; should a high-born family have only adopted children, then they are entitled to inherit from their family, however should a family have both natural and adopted children, then by law only the natural children can inherit titles. For example, should the wealthy Counsellor Trillis of bright Gorge (also a landed Lady or Kuli) die she would leave behind an adopted daughter and a younger natural daughter. By law, the younger daughter would inherit the title of ''Kuli ''and any benefits that it comes with, but the adopted daughter could still be given land or money in her inheritance. This law was also the case for the large half-breed population until the recent passing of the Purity Law.